Garden Club of Alabama to meet Oct. 24 in Northport

Speaker at upcoming Garden Club of Alabama gatheri

Doug Phillips, host of Alabama Public Television's "Discovering Alabama," will speak Oct. 24 during a gathering of the Garden Club of Alabama in Northport.

Staff photo by Tommy Sevenson

By Molly OlmsteadSpecial to The Tuscaloosa News

Published: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 3:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Wednesday, October 9, 2013 at 12:55 a.m.

The Garden Club of Alabama will hold its biannual District 4 meeting on Oct. 24 at Northwood Hills Baptist Church, 3463 Alabama Highway 69 N., in Northport.

Doug Phillips, the host of Alabama Public Television's "Discovering Alabama," will speak to the group, which will include nine garden clubs from Tuscaloosa and surrounding counties. Phillips will discuss his experiences documenting the history of Alabama and his work with the environment.

The Tuscaloosa Garden Club will host the event, and the mayors of Tuscaloosa and Northport will introduce the nearly 75 visiting garden club members from Northport, Coker, Fayette, Greensboro, Jasper, Marion and Demopolis, as well as officers from the state-level organization.

The meeting will start with welcoming speeches by the two mayors. A flag ceremony will be presented by the University of Alabama Air Force ROTC, followed by Phillips' presentation. Individual clubs will then provide updates and distribute awards.

Mia Martin, the president of the Tuscaloosa Garden Club, said she asked Phillips to speak because he represents values of the organization.

"I love his program. He's really into this environment and recycling, and so I really respect him," she said. "And since that's what our garden club is into, it's all related."

The Garden Club of Alabama belongs to the National Garden Club, an organization that focuses on education, civic and environmental responsibility, networking and the love of gardening.

The Tuscaloosa Garden Club sponsors several scholarships and projects for students in Tuscaloosa.

Projects sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Garden Club include:

n A poetry contest for middle schoolers with the theme "Good stewards of our earth."

n A high school essay contest with the theme "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's World," with winners going on to the national level to compete for a $1,000 scholarship.

The Tuscaloosa Garden Club also planted an Arbor Day tree, held a contest to make sculptures from recycled materials and assisted 10 elementary schools with the planting of bulbs in their schools. It gives scholarships to students going into fields such as forestry, horticulture and landscape design.

"We are trying to promote the love of gardening and flowers and plants and trying to promote the love of the environment and recycling," Martin said.

<p>The Garden Club of Alabama will hold its biannual District 4 meeting on Oct. 24 at Northwood Hills Baptist Church, 3463 Alabama Highway 69 N., in Northport. </p><p>Doug Phillips, the host of Alabama Public Television's "Discovering Alabama," will speak to the group, which will include nine garden clubs from Tuscaloosa and surrounding counties. Phillips will discuss his experiences documenting the history of Alabama and his work with the environment.</p><p>The Tuscaloosa Garden Club will host the event, and the mayors of Tuscaloosa and Northport will introduce the nearly 75 visiting garden club members from Northport, Coker, Fayette, Greensboro, Jasper, Marion and Demopolis, as well as officers from the state-level organization.</p><p>The meeting will start with welcoming speeches by the two mayors. A flag ceremony will be presented by the University of Alabama Air Force ROTC, followed by Phillips' presentation. Individual clubs will then provide updates and distribute awards.</p><p>Mia Martin, the president of the Tuscaloosa Garden Club, said she asked Phillips to speak because he represents values of the organization.</p><p>"I love his program. He's really into this environment and recycling, and so I really respect him," she said. "And since that's what our garden club is into, it's all related."</p><p>The Garden Club of Alabama belongs to the National Garden Club, an organization that focuses on education, civic and environmental responsibility, networking and the love of gardening. </p><p>The Tuscaloosa Garden Club sponsors several scholarships and projects for students in Tuscaloosa.</p><p>Projects sponsored by the Tuscaloosa Garden Club include:</p><p>n A poetry contest for middle schoolers with the theme "Good stewards of our earth."</p><p>n A high school essay contest with the theme "Today's Choices Affect Tomorrow's World," with winners going on to the national level to compete for a $1,000 scholarship.</p><p>n A Smokey Bear/Woodsy Owl poster-drawing contest for Flatwoods Elementary School students.</p><p>The Tuscaloosa Garden Club also planted an Arbor Day tree, held a contest to make sculptures from recycled materials and assisted 10 elementary schools with the planting of bulbs in their schools. It gives scholarships to students going into fields such as forestry, horticulture and landscape design.</p><p>"We are trying to promote the love of gardening and flowers and plants and trying to promote the love of the environment and recycling," Martin said.</p>